A number of citizens and residents expressed anger and resentment over the rampant widespread of hawkers in front of mosques and houses of worship after Friday prayers every week.

The hawkers and vendors have turned the yards surrounding mosques into black markets to sell spoilt food items that are unfit for human consumption and can lead to several diseases as well as used clothes.

During interviews with the daily, they called for Kuwait Municipality to take an urgent action in coordination with Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs to launch regular campaigns for preventing this farce which does not befit the sanctity of the houses of worship.

They explained that people with limited incomes are forced to buy such spoiled and rotten food items and other commodities due to their prices which are cheaper compared to the prices of the same in cooperative societies.

Illegal markets put up outside mosques on Fridays in different areas in Kuwait

A Kuwaiti citizen Mohammed Al-Enezi lamented that the absence of monitoring by concerned authorities has been encouraging this random trade in a way that does not befit the sanctity of the houses of worship. He insisted that it is high time for Kuwait Municipality, with the cooperation of Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, to take urgent stern measures to prevent the negative aspects rampant in most of the mosques in the country.

Adel Mahmoud clarified that he has nothing against the trade of goods outside mosques especially after Jumaa prayers, as most of the goods are sold at paltry prices. He is happy that he can afford to buy a tin of subsidized milk at KD 2.750, which is usually sold only to citizens. Bandar Al-Mutairi expressed disappointment over the fact that the yards of most of the mosques across Kuwait have turned into “Souk Jumaa” where everything is being sold from used clothing to other items.

Mansour Abdulnasser stressed that the problem is related to the fact that spoiled items are being sold at these makeshift markets outside the mosques on Fridays. He indicated that the items sold usually do not carry expiry dates like rice, sugar, cooking oil and dates, etc. Abdulnasser added, “This is a health catastrophe. The houses of Allah are sacred and should be respected.” Ali Al-Sayed explained that the hawkers bring spoiled and decayed fruits and vegetables which they usually pick from the trash bins of cooperative societies and add to their stock.

Unfortunately those with limited incomes become victims and end up buying these fruits and vegetables at cheap prices. Hosni Jamal stressed the need for concerned authorities to take strict move to bring down these random markets, affirming that most of the items sold there are expired and can have adverse effects on health. He revealed that he once bought a carton of eggplants for 250 fils only to realize later that the eggplants were full of worms